I’m gonna go out on a limb and throw in “M” from Generation X. While she didn’t invent anything wacky or anything, her powers were often described as being “perfect in every way.” including strength AND smarts.
The Martian Manhunter may not have a technological reputation, but he has a brilliant, detective’s mind, & advanced knowledge of biology & medicine.
Then the contenders for non enhanced intelligence (Marvel Universe) would be in order:
Inventors
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Reed Richards
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Victo Von Doom
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Erik Magnus Lehnsherr
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Tony Stark
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Robert Bruce Banner
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Otto Octavius
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Hank Pym
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Henry McCoy
Strategist -
Victor Von Doom
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Reed Richards
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Erik Magnus Lehnsherr
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Tony Stark
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Nick Fury
Disqualified
Professor X - mutant ability
The Leader - radiological enhancements
Steve Rogers - chemical enhancements
Apocalypse - non-human
Darkseid - non-human
I’ll name a person who hasn’t been mentioned yet, The Cheif. This guy is smart as hell (maybe not the smartest) but you have to have a pretty big brain to plan all of the accidents that caused the Doom Patrol. He’s also a pretty good manipulator by getting the Doom Patrol to follow his orders so long and how he made sure they never expected a thing (well they eventually found out but that was much later).
Reed Richards is probably the smartest in the Marvel universe but he doesnt have a lot of common sense… I mean, he did agree to share a dorm room with a guy named VON DOOM!:smack:
In the CD Universe, DK2 has brought up the Chief, who probably is among the smartest – if actually dead – people in the DCU. Also at DC we’ve neglected Will Magnus, who created the Metal Men. I’m pretty sure sentient robots possessing characteristics of the metal they’ve been built from takes some pretty big thinking.
Who else at DC? Cyborg’s dad? Dr. Martin Stein? Who?
ddgryphon
In the CD Universe, DK2 has brought up the Chief, who probably is among the smartest – if actually dead – people in the DCU. Also at DC we’ve neglected Will Magnus, who created the Metal Men. I’m pretty sure sentient robots possessing characteristics of the metal they’ve been built from takes some pretty big thinking.
Who else at DC? Cyborg’s dad? Dr. Martin Stein? Is Luthor still an evil genius? What about Ras Al Ghul? Who?
ddgryphon
It was once spelled out that the 4 smartest Legionaires were Brainiac 5, Dream Girl, Chameleon Boy and Saturn Girl. This was after Invisible Kid died though.
I’d also have to say Ra’s Al Ghul is a contender. He puts plans into action centuries before fruitation even allowing some of his plans to fail in order to insure the success of others.
For sheer brain SIZE, I’d say one of the old Green Lantern foes, Hector Hammond, would have to qualify. He was drawn with a head so swollen its a wonder it didn’t flop on his shoulder due to underpowered neck muscles.
Though, IIRC, he was paralyzed physically, and had to carry all his nefarious plans out through influencing others by sheer mental power. On he other hand, GL continually beat him.
Which brings up a point. If the villains are always getting whomped, outfought or outthought by the heros, shouldn’t that always drop them into a subordinate position?
Dr. Doom is definitely supreme. Just ask him, he’ll tell you it’s true. Besides the magical powers, he’s a first rate inventor, having created robotic simulcras of himself that are so realistic even they sometimes think they’re him. Not to mention the working time machine!
He’s also a schemer par excellence, having actually taken over the planet twice (he gave up world domination both times because he found it boring). He has unmatched willpower, as seen when he managed to fight past all of the Beyonder’s defenses to steal his phenomenal cosmic power and became omnipotent (this was pre-retcon godlike Beyonder, btw, not the wimpy wannabe who fell in love with Dazzler – puke).
On the other hand, Reed Richards somehow convinced a babe like Sue Storm to marry him. That’s gotta take something special.
I think Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Scott Summers (Cyclops) belong in there somewhere.
Captain America would be number one on this list if we weren’t excluding him for chemical enhancements. But should he really be excluded? I thought the Super-Soldier treatments only enhanced his body, and that he gained his strategic military expertise through intensive miltary training followed by his battle experience. Does anyone have a cite from the Marvel canon that says his mind was improved along with his body?
Wasn’t it established somewhere that Reed Richard’s intellect was enhanced by the same cosmic rays that gave him his powers? I’m not sure that fact remains in continuity, but it’s something to consider.